Braden has no regrets about voicing frustration

Sunday

Oct 7, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 7, 2012 at 8:47 AM

STOCKTON - Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden says he isn't perfect, but he does not regret speaking out about the rise in crime and reduction in police resources in Stockton, even if his words leave him at odds with city leaders in his beloved hometown.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden says he isn't perfect, but he does not regret speaking out about the rise in crime and reduction in police resources in Stockton, even if his words leave him at odds with city leaders in his beloved hometown.

Braden spoke with characteristic candor and colorful language in two wide-ranging interviews, alternately punctuating his thoughts with humor and anger. He likened law enforcement officers to superheroes with dwindling powers, detailed his recent encounters with police and criticized Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston, who gave him a key to the city after he pitched a perfect game for the A's on Mother's Day in 2010.

"You can take that key you gave me back," Braden said. "It might unlock the truth, and that would be good for you to bestow upon every citizen in this community."

Braden, a 29-year-old Stagg High School graduate who has Stockton's area code tattooed on his stomach, found himself embroiled in controversy after brandishing a baseball bat and raising his voice during a community meeting Sept. 26 at Victory Park. Hundreds of area residents gathered near the steps of The Haggin Museum, where Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones and Councilwoman Susan Eggman discussed efforts to stem the rise of violent crime in Stockton.

Television cameras caught Braden shouting at Jones from the crowd. He later said he was leaving Stockton because the community had become unsafe, calling it the "wild west" while pointing to the city's record homicide rates, bankruptcy, budget cuts and reductions in the police force.

Braden said Johnston and Jones aren't telling Stockton residents how dangerous the city has become and how little police can do to protect them. He scoffed at the idea of community volunteers patrolling the streets when the Stockton Police Department has seen its staff cut from 441 to 330 in four years, forcing the department to stop responding to lower-priority calls.

"What I'm saying is we are in a time and place in this city, specifically, where it has not been an unrealistic outcry for martial law. Martial law! 'Where's the National Guard?' " Braden said, his voice growing louder and angrier. "At the meeting, that thought was there. You have people standing in a crowd asking for that type of protection, and you're holding this hot-stove meeting about how we're going to carry flashlights and make our presence felt?"

Braden said he was frustrated with police response after he and his grandmother, Stockton resident Peggy Lindsey, were victimized by crimes in a span of 72 hours. Lindsey, who said "I don't feel real safe in Stockton," said it took six hours for police to respond after she reported a burglary at her apartment Sept. 17. She said they initially told her to file a report online.

"The first thing you think is, 'Well, I would if they hadn't stolen my damn computer,' " Lindsey said.

Three days later, Braden said he was attacked while driving his car on March Lane. Braden said a man punched his window, kicked his door and tried to pull his passenger out of the car.

Braden, who recently underwent shoulder surgery and has missed most of the past two seasons with injuries, said he felt defenseless. He said it took three to four minutes to reach a 911 dispatcher. When the alleged assailant drove away, Braden followed, giving a 911 operator the license plate number and a description of the suspect's vehicle.

"They said, 'Sir, we don't have anybody in that area. You need to quit following him,' " Braden said. "I said, 'I'm going to decline on that because nothing is going to happen if I quit following him.' "

Braden pulled over when he saw officers near the scene of a car accident. He tried to direct their attention to the suspect, who was stopped at a red light nearby, but "they were ultra-aggressive in letting me know they were going to be in charge in this situation; they didn't even want to hear what the situation was."

Braden said the officers antagonized him, leading to a verbal exchange in which he shouted and swore at them.

"The guy said, 'Oh, you think you're famous? What was your name again?' " Braden said. "I said, 'Oh, real cute. Go back to the police station and Google me.' "

According to a police report, Braden drove away after saying: "(Expletive) this ... I'm outta here."

Braden said taxpayers aren't getting their money's worth if officers can't help them in such situations, but he said he respects and admires police, adding "my anger came from this one isolated incident involving these two cowboys."

Braden said a 2011 ride along with Stockton police gave him a sense of their frustrations over budget cuts and staff reductions. Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department, said the department is doing its best to address the community's concerns.

"Not only do we want to hear firsthand from our citizens about their concerns, but as a department we want to be open and transparent with our citizens about crime in our city and what the department's police strategies are while we police during these very unique times," Silva said.

Johnston asked Braden and other residents to be patient while the city works to resolve Stockton's crime woes. She noted that Stockton police have taken 600 guns off the street since Jan. 1. She said the city will hire 17 new officers when money from an $8 million federal grant becomes available. She also praised the coming implementation of Project Ceasefire, an initiative which has reduced gun violence and homicides in cities such as Boston, Chicago and Cincinnati. Stockton saw a 43-percent reduction in gun violence when it implemented the program in the 1990s.

"I would urge Dallas to have faith, to know that city leaders are committed to bringing the level of community safety that he and others in our community want to see," Johnston said. "It's not all smoke and mirrors."

Braden declined to speak about plans to sell his home in Stockton, but he said he is shopping for new homes for himself and his grandmother in another city.